PINE RIDGE, S.D. – What looked like an ordinary pack of Hubba Bubba gum turned out to be a cover for something far more dangerous. Law enforcement on the Pine Ridge Reservation recently seized narcotics disguised to look like the popular chewing gum, according to a Facebook post by OST Department of Public Safety’s Highway Safety Division. The department said that several people have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
“This dangerous narcotic continues to plague our homelands,” the department warned, urging the public to report suspicious activity and help curb the flow of illegal drugs across the Oglala Lakota Nation.
The seizure highlights a growing trend of drug traffickers using everyday items to mask dangerous substances, making it even harder to detect and stop their spread. The United States is currently grappling with its deadliest drug epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Emily’s Hope reached out to the OST Department of Public Safety’s Highway Safety Division for clarification on the specific drug found inside the gum wrappers, but has yet to receive a response.
